The late great bassist-composer Jaco
Pastorius, an undeniable force on contemporary jazz during the ‘70s as
well as a towering influence on two generations of
musicians, will be feted at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York from
November 20 - 23. Included in this all-star gala, produced by
impresario Charles Carlini, are Pastorius colleagues and former
bandmates like trumpeters Randy Brecker, Miles Evans and Lew Soloff,
Saxophonists Alex Foster and Butch Thomas, Trombonist David Bargeron,
keyboardist Delmar Brown, guitarist David Gilmore and drummer Kenwood
Dennard. Featured bass players are T.M Stephens, Matt Garrison, and
Jaco's son, Felix Pastorius. For reservations, please call the box
office at (212) 582-2121 or visit www.iridiumjazzclub.com.
Crafted by Musical Director, Kenwood Dennard, this, not-to-be-missed,
event, is a heartfelt devotion to his friend and fellow musician Jaco
Pastorius, whom Dennard accompanied for many years. It is also an
early celebration of what would have been Jaco’s Birthday (on December
1, 1951).
Although Jaco Pastorius passed away over 21 years ago (on September 21,
1987), his musical legacy remains as strong today as ever. Jazz artists
around the world continue to cover his compositions or offer up
personal tributes to the man on their recordings, all attesting to the
indelible mark that Jaco made in his relatively short career. Born in
Norristown, Pennsylvania on December 1, 1951, Pastorius grew up in Fort
Lauderdale and as a teenager began playing around the South Florida
music scene.
Originally a drummer, he switched to electric bass at age 16 after
injuring his wrist in a football game and adapted remarkably well to
his new instrument. Within a year, it was clear to everyone on the
scene that he possessed special gifts as a bassist. Growing by leaps
and bounds, Jaco would quickly develop a wholly new and unprecedented
vocabulary on the instrument. After performing in a series of local
Florida bands, Pastorius was “discovered” by Blood, Sweat & Tears
drummer Bobby Columby, who produced Jaco’s landmark self-titled debut
for Epic Records in late 1975.
Jaco joined Weather Report, the premier fusion band of the ‘70s, in
April of 1976 and appeared on the band’s groundbreaking 1977 Columbia
album, Heavy Weather. He remained with Weather Report for six years,
appearing on a string of acclaimed recordings including 1978’s Mr.
Gone, 1979’s Grammy Award-winning 8:30, and 1980’s Night Passage.
Pastorius’ second recording as a leader, 1981’s Word of Mouth on Warner
Bros., introduced such ambitious Jaco compositions as “Liberty City,”
“John and Mary” and the adventurous title track along with a full big
band arrangement of his most famous composition, “Three Views of a
Secret.” Jaco’s 1983 album, Invitation, documented his Word of Mouth
Big Band on tour in Japan. He subequently toured in a scaled-down
sextet version of Word of Mouth and with the PDB trio-featuring
guitarist Hiram Bullock and drummer Kenwood Dennard.